Friday, July 20, 2007

Laser-wielding robots survey the Arctic

Two NASA robots have been surveying a crater in the Canadian Arctic, testing out technology that could help the space agency evaluate sites for human bases on the Moon or Mars.

The robots, called K10 Black and K10 Red, are equipped with laser scanners that can map terrain up to 1 kilometre from the robots themselves. They also carry ground-penetrating radar that can scan 5 metres below the surface.

The two robots navigate using the Global Positioning System, stereo cameras, the laser scanners, and Sun trackers. Each weighs 75 kilograms. They are being operated by researchers at a base camp more than 3 kilometres away.

They are surveying part of Haughton Crater, which is roughly 20 kilometres across, and lies on Devon Island, Canada. It is similar in size to Shackleton Crater at the Moon's south pole.

Such robots might work in tandem with astronauts to help explore and survey sites on the Moon.

Looks like this technology could be useful someday. On the other hand, haven't we learned from cheesy science fiction films and books like How to Survive a Robot Uprising, that giving lasers to robots is never a good idea? They only end up zapping us with them after they inevitably turn on us.

I knew the 2moons dil so I always try my best to earn them more and more to make myself strong. I have never played the game before, at the beginning I did not know what is so I went to kill the monsters with the 2moons gold that I earned with myself in the game. I will duty bound to a friend to help brush the 2moon dil together with my friends. I spend a good relationship is then fly to tears. If my levels are very high, I can go to buy 2moons dil more and more and I will not depend on my friends to help me to earn them. I get some cheap 2moons gold as the gifts to encourage me.